A covert operation jointly coordinated by the Nigerian Army and the State Security Service (SSS) successfully disrupted an alleged conspiracy to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration and assassinate senior government officials, according to intelligence sources.
The plot reportedly began to unravel in late September 2025 when a serving military officer with knowledge of the plan alerted the then Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede. Around the same time, the SSS independently gathered intelligence indicating that certain army officers were planning to destabilize the government.
With both agencies converging on the same threat, a discreet joint operation was launched. On September 30, 2025, coordinated arrests were carried out across several locations, leading to the detention of multiple serving officers and civilian suspects. President Tinubu, who was traveling to Imo State at the time, was reportedly unaware he was a primary target.
Following the arrests, President Tinubu canceled the October 1 Independence Day parade and authorized a special investigative panel headed by the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Undiandeye. The panel’s findings prompted additional arrests.
Among those implicated were a retired officer identified as General Adamu and former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva, who was accused of financing the plot. Both remain at large. During the investigation, one detained soldier escaped but was later recaptured by SSS operatives in Bauchi State.
In the aftermath, significant changes were made within the military hierarchy. President Tinubu replaced the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, along with the service chiefs. Olufemi Oluyede was subsequently appointed Chief of Defence Staff and promoted to General. Weeks later, Musa returned to government as Minister of Defence.
While the military initially described the arrests as part of a routine disciplinary investigation, the Defence Headquarters acknowledged on January 26, 2026, that officers had indeed plotted to overthrow the government. Those implicated will face trial before a military judicial panel.
Sources revealed that the conspiracy extended beyond a government takeover. Key figures marked for assassination included President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. The plotters allegedly intended to strike simultaneously when all targets were within the country, relying on informants within the Presidential Villa and security details.
The investigation highlights what security officials describe as one of the most serious internal threats to Nigeria’s democratic stability in recent years.
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